Unemployment rate unchanged for Augusta in October

The Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday that the preliminary unemployment rate in metro Augusta was unchanged at 8.6 percent from September to October.

The rate was 9.3 percent in October 2011.

Results for counties in the metro area were mixed, with Rich­mond, Columbia and McDuffie counties experiencing higher unemployment in October, and Burke, Aiken and Edgefield counties lower.

Columbia County had the lowest rate in the area at 7 percent, with Aiken County at 7.3 percent.

The Augusta area remains close to the state levels. Geor­gia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.7 percent in October from 9 percent in September. South Carolina fell from 9.1 percent in September to 8.6 percent in October.

The Athens area continued to have the lowest metro area jobless rate in Georgia at 6.2 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.3 percent.

UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS

COUNTY

OCT.

SEPT.

OCT. 2011

Richmond

10.4%

9.9%

10.7%

Columbia

7%

6.5%

7.3%

Burke

10.4%

10.9%

10.5%

McDuffie

10.2%

9.4%

11.4%

Aiken

7.3%

8.2%

9%

Edgefield

8.3%

8.8%

9.7%

Sources: Georgia Department of Labor, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce